Attendance Policy

It is a legal requirement for any absence to be covered by a phone call or written explanation from the student’s parent or legal guardian.  Our Absentee line is open 24 hours every day.  Parents are requested to ring the Absentee line on 9235 1740 or leave an SMS on 0419 098 172 before 9.30am on the day of the absence with the following information:-

• clearly state the full name of the student
• his/her year group
• your name and your relationship with the student
• day and date of the absence
• reason for the absence
• your contact telephone number

The school will contact parents via an SMS message if a student has been marked absent during Period 1 and when no contact has been received from a parent.  If there is no further contact with the school, a note must be provided to the Clerical Officer in Student Central on the day of the student’s return.

• Students who have had more than two absences and have not provided a satisfactory explanation, may lose their Good Standing and will be required to complete Detention for one hour per unexplained absence until the matter has been resolved.
• Absences for holidays, study, non-attendance at carnivals, driving lessons (or a similar occasion which can be arranged out of school time) will be deemed as an “Absence without Satisfactory Explanation”. This criterion will be used for reporting on student attendance for Youth Allowance purposes.
• Participation in Physical Education classes is compulsory.
• Only medical grounds can be accepted as legitimate reasons for absence or non-participation.
• Students who arrive late to school must sign in at Student Central.
• Persistent lateness and unsatisfactory reasons will result in Detention.
• Students who are absent on the day of a school social event (river cruise, school ball, dinner dance, socials etc.) will not normally be permitted to attend the event. In circumstances where the absence is unavoidable, parents must contact the relevant House Leader to seek permission for their son/daughter to attend the social event.

For less than a week: the student is responsible for arranging work from the class teacher. For more than a week: the parent or guardian should contact the House Leader who may arrange for work from teachers.  Work can be collected from Reception.

Students needing to leave the school during the day for dental/medical appointments etc. must have permission from their parent/guardian. This can be in the form of an SMS to the absentee line 0419 098 172 or an email to studentcentral@rossmoyneshs.wa.edu.au, a phone call to Student Central on 9235 1740 or a note authorising the absence.
Students must report to Student Central to sign out and to sign back in to school if returning.

Students may not leave the school grounds at any time during the school day without permission from their parents.

No student is allowed out of class without written permission from a teacher.

This is absence that is deemed to be taken at the discretion of the family (eg. holidays) – thus there is a choice in the matter.  It is not an accepted or endorsed absence and should therefore be avoided as a reason for absenteeism from school. Parents must take responsibility for the consequences of this absence.  The timetable, learning program and assessment schedule will proceed.  Students have course and assessment outlines for all upper school courses and many lower school subjects.  The student or family should organise friends to collect materials and keep the absent student informed.  Teachers may or may not be in a position to make arrangements to allow a student to meet assessment requirements.

Staff cannot be expected to undertake a significant additional workload or jeopardise the integrity of their tests and assessments in order to meet the needs of students who are absent under these circumstances. As a consequence, there is a real possibility that a student’s results will be affected.

The school is limited in its ability to support students who travel overseas at times when assessments are scheduled.  This is especially critical prior to holiday breaks.  Families need to avoid removing students at this time unless there are exceptional circumstances.  Reports will not be posted or issued early for students.

This is leave sanctioned by the Principal for any student who is representing the school, state or nation at an approved sporting or cultural event.  It is the student’s responsibility to apply for this leave at least three weeks prior to the absence.  This application should be made using the online Planned Leave of Absence Application Form available on SEQTA.  It is the student’s responsibility to organise students in each of his/her classes to collect materials and to submit work as negotiated with each teacher.  Teachers will endeavour to support the student’s ongoing education and minimise the impact of the absence on marks or outcomes, particularly if the student meets the negotiated work submission requirements.

Wherever possible, the student or family should organise friends to collect materials and communicate work requirements.  Where there is the possibility of extended absence (more than a week), the family should also liaise with the House Leader who will assist in ensuring the absent student has access to as much of his/her normal course work as possible. Teachers, where possible, will support the student’s ongoing education to minimise the impact of the absence on marks or outcomes.

For less than a week, the student is responsible for arranging for a fellow   student or friend to act as courier to obtain work from the class teacher.  For more than a week, the parent or guardian should contact the House Leader who may arrange for work from teachers.

The School of Special Education Needs: Medical and Mental Health (SSEN:MHH) may be called upon to assist in keeping the student up-to-date with his/her normal school program.

While students will not be penalised in any way for attending an approved excursion, there may be circumstances where different assessment procedures may have to be used. Students are expected to ensure they catch up on any work missed while absent from school.

A student who truants (absents themselves without authority) on a day or from a class, has chosen to forego their educational opportunities and, as a consequence, a mark of zero or an outcome of “not demonstrated” will normally apply for school assessments.  Students who truant will face detention to make up for the time lost.  For example, a student who truants for one school day will be given six hours of detention.  Parents will be notified of the truancy and it will be recorded as such on the school’s Attendance Register.  Repeated acts of truancy in lower school will result in additional detention penalties.  Students who truant may lose their Good Standing status.

Where a member of the public notifies the school that a Rossmoyne Senior High School student has been sighted in public and may be truanting, the school will telephone that student’s parent and ask them to bring their child to school.

Students are required to continue to meet the requirements of their educational programs. They should follow the program as well as they can from course outline materials and organise for friends in each of their classes to collect materials and keep them informed of tests and assessments.  The students (or family) are to advise the relevant Associate Principal of any difficulties in meeting this requirement.  Where tests are set, the student should request their Associate Principal organise supervision for them to sit the test in isolation.  The student must be delivered to the school and picked up from the school by a parent or a parent’s nominee.  The student will not be permitted to access any other part of the school or communicate with other students whilst at the school.  The student is expected to submit all work by the due date.